Woman
at Point Zerois a powerful Egyptian novel relaying the life story
of a woman awaiting death row in a Cairo prison for murdering a pimp.
Her crime is one she confesses to with no shame.

The book opens with
a confident, concerned woman psychologist and author trying to learn the
story behind quiet, patient Firdaus. She is a mysterious, ex-prostitute
who refuses to speak with anyone in or out of the prison. Firdaus at last
agrees to speak to the woman psychologist/author, and slowly unravels
her tragic life history before the woman. It is a lifetime rife with abuse,
oppression, abandonment, being taken advantage of on all levels, and of
consistent rejection- by nearly every human she encountered from child
to adulthood.

This
is not a narrative you want to read on a particularly dark day or low
point in your life unless you can come away with a sense of gratitude
for your own experience. Firdaus graphically, and unabashedly reveals
the movement toward a frenzied dance with fear and anger, one slowly picking
up tempo with each man or woman who walked in and away from her life carrying
a small piece of her soul. Older, secondary education and college students
would be the best audiences for whom the book might be adopted as a course
text. Its contents are powerful, though would be best examined in terms
of the political, social, personal, and economic contexts under which
her story took place.

Firdaus takes readers through her turbulent childhood, from being abused
and witnessing the abuse of her mother by her father, to her mysterious
female circumcision as a young woman, to the twisted molestation by her
uncle, betrayal by lovers, and on to bitter exploitation by pimps, and
last and possibly most ruthless- the persistent taunting of men, women,
and law enforcement- as she struggles to live an adult life she has been
given no tools to live.

Thematically contrasted
against other Middle Eastern novels such as Men
in the Sun (Kanafani) and The Day the Leader Was Killed
(Mahfouz), Woman at Point Zero is less about colonialism, and more
about taking a subjective look into the intrinsic underdevelopment of
marginalized citizens, and how the absence of justice fosters through
Egyptian politics, economics, and society. Firdaus is one of these citizens.

One interesting dimension
of Middle Eastern literature within postcolonial studies is its portrayal
of race. The inclusion or exclusion of various people groups is more about
socioeconomic class than anything else, as experienced in texts like Woman
at Point Zero and The Day the Leader was Killed. The commitment
to "survival" makes a fork in the road with these two authors,
as Mahfouz builds a story around the middle-class family of Elwan, one
whose primary concern is falling into a lower class and not being able
to live the comfortable lifestyle they are accustomed to. It is the story
of political change under the rule of Sadat, whereas Saadawi's story follows
one woman pushing against unwanted roles she is repeatedly forced to play
within a patriarchal society.

Firdaus lives and
remains in the lower class portion of society, regardless of how much
money she earns as a prostitute. Despite her attempts to move beyond her
socioeconomic classification, she consistently ends up turning back to
prostitution and is rarely treated as anything more than the dregs of
Cairo society. Reading these two, contrasting texts against one another
poses an interesting before-and-after comparison question of how "middle
class" Arabic or Palestinian life looks different- after reading
lower class perspectives of similar political situations like Firdaus'.

Another parallel between
The Day the Leader was Killed and Woman at Point Zero is
the role of women as political and social tools for men. Randa, in the
Day the Leader was Killed, experiences a situation along the lines
of Firdaus' with Ibrahim in her marriage to Anwar. Each woman believes
she is actively and positively contributing to the revolutionary struggles
in the vice of the economic traps put in place by the Infinitah. Firdaus
and Randa are "ethically" prostituted in their involvement with
the men. Firdaus is both ethically/politically violated by Ibrahim and
then literally prostituted by him through the veil of "revolutionary
struggle" he hid under, approaching her as a noble advocate for the
common people. Once again, Firdaus is shaken from any hopes of being desired
for more than a sexual or political tool, as Ibrahim uses the notion of
revolution only as a trick to get her into bed- for free. Randa too, in
her disappointment at ending the commitment with Elwan, accepts the proposal
of Elwan's boss Anwar, an older man who pursues her with no visible remorse
as another political and social tool to his gain. Each of these texts
run along the same lines, bringing up similar issues until their endings.
In Woman at Point Zero, Firdaus ends up tragically destined to
death in a distorted state of happiness at the prospect of entering on
a spiritual journey no one else has taken or can take away from her. Randa
reaches a similar state of passive acceptance, and though not in prison,
shares similar despair at living a life apart from Elwan.

In his book Intimate
Enemies: Jews and Arabs in a Shared Land, Benvenisiti, a reporter
for the New York Times, probes into the political situation responsible
for the "elusive peace" between these groups. A peace, which
currently seems more unpromising than it did during the volatile struggle
for resolution during the 1990's Gulf War. This text provides a grounded
picture of the Middle East, taking into account the United State's contributions
to the political climate through unsuccessful land negotiations determined
through the early portions of the '80's Camp David accords. Benvenisiti
swims in the deep end of the pool, but his theoretical analyses are very
accessible by his use of precise, no-frills language, and colloquial tone
with which he addresses readers. In the "Elusive Peace" chapter,
he discusses the veil of peace created by the U.S. feigning interest in
peace negotiations 1991. The problem however, being that the US never
actually made a public, concrete commitment to sit down and work the messy
situation out with the participating countries. He sets up well the circular
and hidden political agendas of the US, Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Israel
contributing to the further complicating of the peace process, pushing
the chances for permanent peace farther and farther apart. This book provides
a fascinating backdrop to examine the political and historical contexts
scaffolding stories like Woman at Point Zero, Men in the Sun, and
The Day the Leader was Killed.

About the Author:
Nawal El Saadawi

Saadawi is a graduate
of the University of Cairo, class of 1955. There she earned a degree in
psychiatry and held a government position as the Director of Public Health,
until 1972, when her controversial Women and Sex was published
(Pasquini, 65). She is the author of over thirty books which have been
translated into approximately twenty languages. Her most recent work is
Love in the Kingdom of Oil (Pasquini, 65). Saadawi consistently
speaks out internationally on what she feels is political injustice, including
attacks on US foreign policy. She was recently arrested in the summer
of 2001,in a campaign by Islamic fundamentalists resistant to her feminist
political stance, to force a divorce from her Muslim husband, Dr. Sharif
Hattatta, a man who is reported to exhibit great respect for his wife
and her devotion to freedom for women. Lawyer Nabih Al Wahsh filed a case
that the marriage be dissolved on the grounds that Saadawi indicates an
abandonment of the Islamic faith (We!, 8). On July 30, 2001 the Egyptian
Court rejected the petition, leading Saadawi down another path of political
reform to abolish the "Hisba Law" which allows for "any
Muslim to sue other people for promoting beliefs that are deemed harmful
to society" (We!, 8). Her "rebellious" writings on "women's
oppression in cultural and religious traditions" bring about sharp
criticism by many who claim she is "a troublemaker who became famous
by siding with Westerners in their prejudices against Arab and Islamic
culture" (We!, 8). With Saadawi boldly labeling US military in Afghanistan
during the fall of 2001 as "real terrorism," it is hard to take
such a criticism seriously.

Nationalism by
Male Reformers and Egyptian Women's Movement

Firdaus' world as
portrayed by Saadawi in the mid-1970's had its political roots in the
hundred years of Egyptian government preceding the story. Palestinian
Women of Gaza and the West Bank by Suha Sabbagh contains a brief overview
in the book's introduction tracing the male reformers in Egypt and the
women's rights movement as it gathered momentum from the 1870's to late
20th century. There are five, fascinating pages where Sabbagh traces the
contributions of early, modernist writers around the turn of the century
during the "early contact with European culture" and the adoption
of the "Western genres" like the novel (20). Postcolonial critic
Edward Said speaks frequently in the chapter to the "cultural renaissance
in the Arab world" as a result of the changes in Islamic world view
by European colonization (20).

The book then raises
the question of new, more liberating "ideas about women's roles that
began to emerge in Egypt" as Arab women saw Western women being educated
as scholars and playing significant political and social roles in Europe.
The women's rights movement was, naturally, complicated by the religious
mandates of Islam. Male reformers like Qasim Amin who visited France and
returned to Egypt with a clear objection against women's reform, believing
it was in direct violation of the laws of the Quran, or ordinations by
the shariah (21). There were several male reformers during the 1870's
interested in "women's emancipation" for Arab women, such as
Ahmed El Shidyak and Riffaa El-Tahtawi, two men concerned with modernizing
education to include young women (21). One woman author at the time, Kumari
Jayawardena, author of Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World,
"affirms that during this period nearly every aspect of women's emancipation
was being discussed, with very little agreement among authors (21).

The mere fact of women
daring to challenge existing political laws barring them from participation
in public, governmental affairs suggests that, "their consciousness
had been transformed" (22). Women were "willing to question
traditional values that require exclusion from the political sphere"
(22). Sabbagh notes that National Liberation and a Feminist Consciousness
were "two, separate struggles taking place simultaneously" (22).
Egyptian women, as early as 1919 "demonstrated on the streets of
Cairo, chanting nationalist slogans through veils covering their faces"
(23). Only three, short years later Egypt "gained its independence"
from Britain, and "political activism and street demonstrations in
which women participated had led led to the emergence of a political movement
that also recognized the rights of women" (23). From this time forward,
a number of Egyptian women novelists "rose to prominence through
their writings" (23).

Sabbagh mentions several
women writers of this period who paved the way for authors like Saadawi
to openly publish their work. Malak Hifini Nassif (pen name "Bahissat
al-Badiaa" was one early writer to receive an education and was very
"vocal in her criticism of the institutions that form a woman's life:
polygamy and divorce, denial of education, veiling and seclusion, and
denial of the right to work outside of the home" (23). Her program
for "compulsory elementary education for women" was approved
and put into place in 1911 by the Egyptian Legislative Assembly (23).
Two other women authors, May Ziyada and in the West, Huda Shaarawi each
participated anticolonialist activities, working to bring Egyptian women's
issues to the forefront of political agendas (24).

As Americans living
under a long history of democracy, we often condemn and criticize nationalism,
perhaps in light of such tragic historical events like Hitler's mass genocide
of Jewish people during W.W. II. To nationalism's credit however, is the
platform it established for women to "voice their demands for greater
equality and to be heard" in their push toward emancipation. Sabbagh
concludes the section stating the unfortunate fact that post 1930's the
"interest in women's rights began to decline" and "lost
its early appeal" among Egyptian women (24).

It is authors like
Saadawi whom I would credit with the resurgence of women's rights concerns
being brought to Egyptian legislators. Saadawi, as stated in the "about
the author" section, is repeatedly criticized and even arrested for
her work to abolish laws like the Hisba, permitting Muslims to sue (and
in Saadawi's case, call for a forced divorce) anyone who "promotes
beliefs deemed harmful to society." Saadawi is labeled a "militant"
feminist, though by American definition and tradition, her struggle to
keep her marriage and maintain her family life is closer to conservative,
family values than stereotypical "liberal feminist" ones. Her
situation is one of the best examples of the drastic differences between
living in a country like Egypt and one that attempts democracy. Islamic
religion and tradition is so deeply embedded in Egyptian law that it regularly
spills over into the personal lives of citizens, dissolving any separation
of church from state. Saadawi's life is marked with one political battle
after another, from the publication of her first book. What is incredible
about this author is that she calmly accepts the situation and begins
work on changing the laws and traditions responsible for each battle she
faces. Her persistent working for the "women's cause," or, in
the case of the Hisba law, the cause of any less-fortunate citizen charged
with violating it, but would not have the means to push back, has allowed
Saadawi an active role in affecting thousands of lives for the better-
now, and well beyond her death.

7. Articles
by and about Dr. Saadawi. Links to articles Saadawi herself has written
as well as to articles written about her. Some of the links do not work,
but the ones that do link to useful information. **

9. Saadawi
Call for Action Site. Describes her most recent (2001) court and governmental
battles with Cairo authorities, with a call for written action to government
officials from Saadawi supporters worldwide. This page has some technical
errors on it, but an accurate description of Saadawi's current legal status
within Egypt. *

10. Link
to a Review of Jazz-trumpeter Dave Douglas's Witness album.
The composer/performer's first "overtly political" CD, I've
not heard it but it seems tremendous. He also dedicates a 24-minute long
"epic" of Naguib Mahfouz (author of a great companion text to
Woman at Point Zero- The Day the Leader Was Killed.) Definitely
worth checking out- both this review and the audio itself. **

Young, Morris. "Standard
English and Student Bodies: Institutionalizing Race and Literacy in Hawai'i."
College English 64 (2002): 405- 431.

Young Adult Companion
Texts:

Frank, Otto ed. The
Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank. New York: Bantam, 1995.

This classic tale
would provide an interesting contrast to Firdaus' experience. The resilience
of the human spirit manifests itself differently in each story, though
their experiences are markedly different, their survival through their
coming-of-age sharesa quality of raw survival. Each possesses
her own wisdom, and each speaks from living conditions "few teenagers
have ever known." Anne's innocence, and Firdaus' street smarts hold
much potential for analysis and discovery of personal values and beliefscentral to critical thought.

A wonderful story of "Liyana," a girl of Palestinian heritage
who has grown up in St. Louis, MO. Her father decides to move their family
back to Palestine, and Liyana learns much about her Arab heritage after
settling there. She also meets a young Jewish boy, Omer, and the classic
"Romeo and Juliet" story enters in, each wanting to teach their
families to tolerate and acceptance.

An coming of age story from the perspective of a Chinese American girl's
perspective. It is an interesting narrative to pair with works like Woman
at Point Zero, I, Rigoberta Menchu, The Dark Child, or The
Nine Guardians. Snow struggles with growing up "American"
and not losing her Chinese cultural heritage she so values. A unique perspective.

Recommended Course
Reader:One possible
companion text for the novels mentioned on our site is a multicultural
reader from Allyn & Bacon One
World, Many Cultures (Second Edition). This reader has sixty-eight
nonfiction excerpts from writers like Rigoberta Menchu, Camara Laye, Jamaica
Kincaid and many other well-known individuals from a broad span of cultures.
These stories aid students in exploring different cultural perspectives
and finding their own through writing, as well as providing a base for
literary interpretation and criticism within the strategies present in
each writer's piece.

Resources for Whiteness
Studies: Whiteness studies involve the interpretation of literature
through examining racism inherent in national, international, and local
institutions, and could be employed to further examine the racism dynamics
present in Woman
at Point Zero. Evaluating the role of whiteness can easily begin
with students characterizing their conception of the book as American
citizens.

Questions for Class
Discussion:

1. Does Egypt have its own "Whiteness" tradition between races
and classes?
2. How might "whiteness" have played a part in Firdaus' story
developing as it did?
3. What might be some of the racial characteristics (or freedom, womanhood,
manhood, individualism, etc.) that surface repeatedly in African or Egyptian
literary traditions?
4. How does reading Morrison's perspective on the role of whiteness being
created by the minority population's "unfree" state change or
not change your interpretation of Saadawi's story?

Link to Gregory Jay's
Whiteness Studies Site. A rich site developed by one of the leading
researchers on whiteness studies, from the University of Wisconsin at
Madison. The site is full of historical and pop culture conception of
whiteness. Includes links to further scholarly interests for related reading.